


paint the flag and fly it high

by codedredalert



Series: the law novels have no power over me (heart pirates fics) [1]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Backstory, Canon Compliant, Could Be Canon, Cute, Gen, Mention of Canonical Character Death, Non compliant with the Law novels, Origin Story, just 4k of cute heart boys interactions and law angst, mention of canonical genocide, mild body horror
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-08
Updated: 2019-11-08
Packaged: 2021-01-02 23:37:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21169766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/codedredalert/pseuds/codedredalert
Summary: Law had a statement to make, and every warning needed a recipient.(Or, how they got the Heart Pirates name, symbol and submarine.)





	paint the flag and fly it high

**Author's Note:**

> This was written as part of the mothersea zine and is a collab with @smartie-ya who made [very lovely art](https://smarties-art.tumblr.com/post/188771745642/my-full-piece-for-the-mothersea-zine-love-how-it).
> 
> Fic also [on tumblr here](https://codedredalert.tumblr.com/post/188904319100/paint-the-flag-and-fly-it-high).

“Boss,” said Shachi with a tone of great importance. “We need a flag.”

Law turned to look at him, leaving only one hand on the helm of their little stolen fishing boat.

“We have a flag,” replied Law, puzzled. The fishing boat was flying the Spider Miles flag. Shachi knew this, as did Penguin and Bepo. Law had specifically told them to hijack a Spider Miles vessel because Law remembered just enough of the port registry and rules to make a convincing bluff if he had to.

Shachi floundered and waved his hands.

“No, like. A flag to show we’re pirates!” he explained.

Ah, Shachi meant a Jolly Roger. Law had already been considering it, but Shachi was fun to tease.

“If you _really _want everyone to know we’re pirates,” started Law very seriously and Shachi leaned forward, nodding. “Go take the Spider Miles flag down.”

Penguin started snickering and Shachi scowled. Bepo looked up from his maps and between the three humans.

“Um, I don't get it,” said Bepo. "Sorry, can someone explain?"

"Stateless ships are presumed pirates by the marines. It was one of the anti-pirate measures implemented after Gol D Rogers’ execution," supplied Law.

"Ohhhhh." Bepo’s mouth formed an ‘o’, or as close to one that a polar bear’s long snout was able to manage.

"Wait," said Shachi. He squinted at Penguin, who tried to stifle his laughter and look back innocently from where he was standing beside the depth reader and other gauges. "There's no way _you_ knew that."

"I didn't," admitted Penguin, through badly contained giggles. He flashed the peace sign. "I was laughing at your face."

Shachi half-stood to reach across the table to swat Penguin, who stepped away quickly, laughing. The boat rocked violently and something in the locked cupboards fell with a loud thud.

"Guys!" shouted Law.

Bepo grabbed Shachi with one paw on the chest and one on the back and held him in place. The boat rocking steadied.

"Better sit down, Shachi," whispered Bepo loudly. Shachi sat with a small grumble.

"Sorry, Boss," he said.

"Captain," reminded Bepo.

"Ah, sorry, Captain."

"Yeah, sorry, Captain," echoed Penguin.

Law gave a small nod and turned back to helming. There was a shuffle of papers behind him, Bepo moving maps on the table.

"I thought Shachi was talking about the skull flag,” Bepo started conversationally. He yelped suddenly and Law turned to see Shachi clasping one of Bepo's paws in both hands.

"Bepo," Shachi said dramatically. "You're the only one who _gets_ me. I'm done with these guys. Let's run away together and make our own pirate flag.”

"Umm…" Bepo edged away from Shachi as Penguin cracked up again.

"Good riddance," gasped Penguin as he caught a breath while laughing. Shachi smiled and flipped him the middle finger.

"A Jolly Roger," said Law, turning his eyes back onto the waters. “Jokes aside, we can’t put up a Jolly Roger anyway.”

"What!" cried Shachi. "Why not? C'mon, Captain. It'd be _so cool_."

Law gestured at the engine gauges and throttle, already maxed out.

“I know it'd be cool. But cool or not, _this_ is our top speed. We’d be sitting ducks for the marines if we actually confirm that we're pirates. And then what?”

Shachi slumped facedown on the table in disappointment. Penguin and Bepo had matching thoughtful frowns on their faces.

"Could we steal a faster boat?" suggested Bepo. Shachi perked up hopefully.

"And cannons," added Penguin.

The three of them turned to Law expectantly. Law felt a smile tug at the corners of his mouth.

"I'll think about it," he said, and his crew cheered.

Law was bad at sleeping.

Maybe that was a strange way to put it, but Law had been that way even as a kid. His parents had sometimes teased that he was a difficult baby because he'd only sleep for an hour at a time.

Law wasn’t sure why he had been so restless as a kid, but he knew why he dreaded sleep now.

The frequency of patients in his parents' clinic had increased slowly, slowly, then all at once. Tell-tale hard white patches of toxic Amber Lead bloomed like mould on the skin of all his city's people. In his nightmares, Law tried to shout, to warn everyone of the government's treachery, but they carried on, unfazed ghosts of people who would be dead the coming day. Amber Lead would overtake his throat and Law would watch voiceless as fire befell the White City.

Law would run, because he always ran. That was all he was ever good at–running away and finding himself alone, ashes of the dead on his tongue and forehead, stolen weapons in his childish hands.

Then, he was Doflamingo's and he had been stupid enough to think that was better. Forty-hour wake cycles, passing out exhausted, and chasing fucking _Doflamingo's _approval had been _better_.

(And for a while… it sort of had been. It was being _seen_, being held up to judgment and being found worthy, being found more than enough by someone who had made it and knew what it took. That validation had been headier than drugs in a world of despair and death.)

And then, there was Cora-san. God, there was Cora-san.

Cora-san, who returned Law's knife in his back with protection from Doflamingo. Cora-san, who gave up his secrets to Law freely and in faith just to have Law hold it over him and gloat. Cora-san, who fought his way through every hospital in the North Blue chasing a nonexistent cure for Amber Lead Syndrome when any sane person would have given up.

Cora-san, who died so Law could live.

(It ended badly. Of course, it ended badly. Law wasn't allowed to have good things, and Cora-san was indisputably Good.)

When Law dreamed of Cora-san's death, it always started with Law screaming his throat raw but never making a sound. There was only stuffy, maddening darkness and Cora-san's ragged breathing. A weakening heartbeat, its faintness amplified by the wooden shell of the treasure chest. Doflamingo’s growling bass voice, tone so derisive Law could almost see the man's expression.

Gunshots.

Law sat up in the interior of the stolen fishing boat, breathing hard and feeling sick.

It took a moment for him to orient himself and take in his surroundings. All the lights were off as per Law's orders, so they were less likely to be spotted. The only light was the moonlight flooding in through the windows where the helmsman could see out of the cabin, and the faint orange and white glow of the various dials and gauges set into the captain's table. Bepo and Shachi were snoring peacefully on the benches along the walls. In the background, the engine hummed softly and Penguin was at the helm, his silhouette backlit against the windows.

Law took a moment to regulate his breathing, letting it return to normal before he got up and went over to Penguin.

"How's the fuel?" asked Law in a low voice. Penguin glanced at him, but wasn't surprised that he was up. Law's crew was long accustomed to seeing him awake at all hours of the night.

“Half-tank last I checked. Hang on." Penguin fumbled for a switch in the dark, and the glowing needles on the gauges dropped just a bit lower. "Yeah, fuel's alright. ‘Specially since we’re going slow and quiet now.”

Penguin flicked the switch back and looked at Law with eyebrows raised in a mix of concern and pointedness. Law sighed. 

“I’m fine. It’s just the usual,” Law told him. Penguin nodded.

“Wanna talk about it?”

“No.” Law never did, but Penguin always offered anyway. He knew when to back off too, which Law appreciated.

“... All–” Penguin broke off into a yawn. “Alright,” he started again. “Let’s talk about something else then, I’m falling asleep on my feet over here. How’s the Jolly Roger coming along?”

Law leaned against the wall, resting his head against the edge of the window as he looked out over the dark waters.

"Can't decide whether to go traditional or not," admitted Law.

Penguin chuckled.

"If _you _end up going with ye olde skull and crossbones, I'll eat my hat."

Law inclined his head and shared a brief smile.

"You're right, I won't use that for the design. But I was thinking about the traditional function of the flag as a warning," said Law. "A Jolly Roger serves more as a marker of identity now, but just thirty years ago, they were warnings to the ships about to be captured–the most common message was surrender or be killed."

Penguin shrugged, taking one hand off the wheel to gesture, palm up.

"How about both meanings?" he asked. "Warning! We're young, dangerous, and incredibly handsome. Give us all your stuff and fall in love with us! Something like that."

Law snickered.

"Something like that," Law agreed. He ran his knuckles over the window, the glass cold against his skin. "For the identity part, I'd like something to do with medicine."

"Yeah," said Penguin. "Sounds good. Maybe that snake sign thing. Or that symbol you showed us last time. Radioactive? Uh, wait no. Biohazard? I don't remember the name but it was cool."

Law contemplated this with a thoughtful frown.

"Mm. Maybe." He shifted his weight off the wall. "I should go sketch a few ideas."

"You should go _sleep_," corrected Penguin.

Law waved a hand in dismissive acknowledgment and headed back to the table. He turned to a fresh page of the captain’s log and drew the circular prongs of the biohazard sign by feel rather than sight.

Biohazard. Something about that didn’t sit right with Law. It harkened too much to the days where people had treated Law as a disease rather than a person. No, Law hadn’t clawed his way back from the jaws of death so many times to label himself like this. Cora-san hadn’t raged like a lion at every misinformed medical practitioner for Law to take this symbol.

Cora-san. Law really owed him everything. And–Law’s pen dug into the page–Doflamingo had murdered him. Familiar hatred gripped Law’s shoulders, a sour, burning poison, the seductive whisper of vengeance. Over the roar of his thoughts and his heartbeat in his ears, he distantly heard paper tearing as he dragged the pen across the pages of the logbook.

Doflamingo was one man. Law could take him. Law knew the way he thought, and his tricks. Law just had to be smart and careful and lucky. (Too bad that Law’s particular brand of luck meant that only he would survive and absolutely no one else he cared about would.)

Well, Law had a statement to make, and every warning needed a recipient.

_I’m not dead._

_You tried to make me like you. You failed._

_I’m going to use everything you taught me to destroy you._

“.......ptain? Captain.”

Law startled awake, arm sweeping a wide arc at the shadow leaning over him. The shadow lurched back, swearing. Law blinked and saw Shachi with a hand over his own ribs, grimacing. Outside the window, the sky had lightened but the sun still hadn't come up.

"That looked like it hurt," commented Bepo.

Law pinched the bridge of his own nose and swept his hand up, pushing his hair back from his face.

"Sorry." He apologised to Shachi, who made a small wave with his hand.

"It's fine. What were you working on anyway?"

Law looked down at the paper before him and circled one of the designs.

"The pirate flag you asked for." Law tore out the page and held it up. Shachi and Bepo grabbed it eagerly.

"Nice," said Shachi while Bepo nodded in approval.

"Lemme see." Penguin stretched out a hand for the paper and Shachi passed it to him. Penguin tipped his hat back and squinted at it.

"Looks good," said Penguin, handing the paper back. "So you went with the radioactive sun idea after all."

Law's face scrunched in confusion. He looked at Shachi and Bepo, who had similar expressions.

"That's just a face," said Shachi. "Right, Captain?"

"Isn't it a lion?" asked Bepo.

"It's meant to be a virus," muttered Law. "Because we're going to use Doflamingo's machinations against him, and spread our influence."

Law took a fresh sheet of paper and drew it again. The Donquixote smiley face without the slash through it, surrounded by stylised glycoproteins. This time, Law exaggerated the lines at the ends of the radiating spikes round the smiley face. Shachi and Bepo leaned forward to watch.

"Mm, I see, I see," said Bepo, nodding supportively. Shachi made an affirmative sound.

"Now all we need is a name," announced Shachi. "Something badass! Like, um-"

Law shook his head and his crew fell silent, looking at him expectantly.

A name was easy. Law had been wanting to pay tribute to Cora-san. When Law had drawn a line in the sand and asked if his crew would follow him, he had bluntly stated that his primary goal was to avenge Cora-san. It only seemed fitting to name a group for its goal.

There were four Donquixote executives, named after the playing card suits in the language of Dressrosa. _Corazón_, when translated, meant–

"Heart," said Law. "We're the Heart Pirates."

===/\===

Their new submarine ran hot with its engine working at full power. The humans were all sweating buckets and Bepo was dangerously close to overheating.

Law leaned over Penguin's shoulder to look at the complex panel of screens, dials, gauges, and switches.

"Anything on sonar or radar?" he asked.

"Not for the last half hour," replied Penguin.

"Can we please surface, Captain?" pleaded Bepo from where he had given up and just stretched out on the floor.

"Not yet." Law was sympathetic, but half an hour wasn't comfortable enough to risk surfacing and the marines renewing their pursuit. He looked over the instruments, consulted the hefty manual for the submarine's controls, and double checked the map which Bepo had surrendered.

"Shachi, switch our course to the second eternal log pose from the left and lower speed by half."

"Got it," replied Shachi from the helm.

Law walked over and crouched by Bepo to pat him on the head.

"We'll enter winter island waters soon, and easing up on the engine should bring the temperature down too. We'll surface once we get there," Law told him. "Bear with it 'til then, Bepo."

The polar bear mink groaned into the metal grating of the floor but gave a weak thumbs up. From the helm, Shachi groaned loudly too.

"I can't believe you're making bear puns right after we literally stole a submarine from a marine base in the most badass heist ever," he complained. "_Bear puns_."

"The heat's gone to his brain," Penguin chipped in from where he was monitoring all the instruments. Penguin gestured above his own head, splaying his fingers. "Poof! He's gone and lost it under that fluffy hat of his."

Law hadn't intended to make a pun, but if it distracted his crew from the heat…

"You're all just bear-eft of good taste," said Law with a perfectly straight face. His crew groaned unanimously.

"Captainnnnn."

"Penguin, make him stoppppp."

"Captain, I'll give you fifty _beri_ if you promise to never pun in front of me ever again."

"I'm not that cheap," Law shot back and Penguin laughed.

"True, true. Did you hear what that scientist guy said to that officer? This is the most costly marine ship ever developed. You got that expensive taste, Captain."

"Y'know what's expensive?" interjected Shachi, grinning. "_Expensive_ is how we blew up all their other ships." He raised a fist. "Boom! Man, we really lit them up. With their own explosives too! Hahahaha!"

Penguin gave a supportive whoop and Bepo rolled over onto his back and cheered from the floor. Law laughed. They'd even managed to grab the blueprints, which would help with any future repairs. If any plan could ever go perfectly, this one had.

They surfaced in a rocky bay and opened the door to the summer of a winter island, the sun warm and the air chillingly crisp. Law shivered as the cold air rushed in the door.

"Fresh air!" Bepo ran out and skidded on the wet deck, crashing face-first into the railings. Shachi and Penguin made a collective sound of alarm, and Law started half-jogging over to Bepo in concern. Bepo raised a paw while using the other to hide his face.

"I'm okay," Bepo called with a notable embarrassed waver in his voice. "Don't look at me."

Law slowed to stand in the middle of the deck.

"Are you sure you're alright?" asked Law. Bepo nodded vigorously so Law looked away, taking in the scenery. The small island they had anchored at seemed deserted. The shore was all dark rocks and sparse wild vegetation.

"Okay, then." Law backed off a couple of steps, and looked back at Bepo. The polar bear mink peeped back from behind his paws. "Keep watch and cool down. Yell if there's anything we need to know."

Bepo nodded some more in acknowledgement, and Law made his way back to Penguin and Shachi.

"Is he okay?" asked Penguin. Law nodded, and Penguin and Shachi relaxed.

"He's just embarrassed," Law told them. "I've asked him to be lookout so he can cool down out here. If you two feel alright, the three of us will explore and take stock of what we have."

Penguin and Shachi looked at each other. Penguin crossed his arms and motioned for Shachi to speak. Shachi scratched the back of his head under his hat.

"Man, why you gotta say it like that, Cap'. Makes us sound like slackers," he complained. "Of course we'll help out. Can't make you do everything, right?"

One exploration and stock-take later, the Heart Pirates stared down at the cans of paint which Shachi found.

"I'm doing it," declared Shachi. "I'm painting our symbol over the marines' mark. I found the paint and it was my idea–"

"No way," interrupted Penguin. "You'll drip paint everywhere, and I don't want to have paint on me. Captain, don't let him."

"My painting would have _style_ though!"

"We don't need so much style that some people think it's just a smiley face with some hair again!"

"I'll do it," said Law, but he was cut off instantly. Shachi, Penguin, and even Bepo, who had been watching the exchange quietly, rounded on him.

"No way," said Penguin.

"Captain, you can't come," said Bepo very seriously. "You might fall into the water when we aren't looking."

"Yeah. Anyway someone's gotta stay on the boat." Shachi realised he misspoke and hastily corrected himself. "I mean, the submarine. For like. Safety reasons. Didn't some people drown recently because they couldn't get back on their boat?"

Law looked at the three of them, who stared back very sternly.

"Alright," said Law, not wanting to argue. It was less work for him. "Penguin's neater, so he'll paint. Shachi is stronger so he can give Penguin a boost. Bepo is tallest, he should hold the paint can."

Shachi grumbled a little, but went along with Law's decision. They lowered the dinghy to the water. With the pulley system, it was lighter than expected, and lighter still with all four of them pulling. The dinghy hit the water with a little splash.

"Are you still going to sit on Shachi's shoulders?" asked Law, watching the waves rock the small boat.

"Yeah," sighed Penguin, looking at the dinghy too. "It shouldn't be too different from picking apples, right?"

"You're going to fall," predicted Law with deadpan certainty. "Just try not to hit your head when you do."

Shachi overheard and grabbed them both round the shoulders, shaking his head and waving one hand as if to ward off a fly.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't curse us like that, Captain! Have a little faith, right, Peng?" Shachi clapped Penguin on the back, lighthearted.

"If you drop me, I'll kick your ass," Penguin promised, tying the orange paint to a rope for Bepo to lower to the dinghy.

"You'd _try_," corrected Shachi before he grinned and did a flip over the side of the railing. He caught the side of the rope ladder and slid down, pretending to blow kisses like some swashbuckling hero. He landed in the dinghy just in time to catch the paint can Bepo sent down.

Bepo applauded. Penguin caught Law's eye.

"Show-off," complained Penguin loudly in fond exasperation. He passed Bepo a can of black paint to lower and he made his way down the rope ladder normally. Bepo followed soon after and Law was left alone on the deck. He took up a spot by the railing, where he could look down and watch as Shachi hoisted Penguin up on his shoulders.

"Make it big enough to see from marine headquarters!" Law shouted down at them. They looked up at him and grinned as Bepo cracked open the orange paint can.

"Yes, Captain!" all three shouted back, and they started painting.

There was something to be said about afternoons like that on the ocean. The bright yellow railing Law leaned against was warmed by the sun, and the salt breeze was cool against his skin. The voices of his crew calling 'left', 'a little higher', 'pass the paint' were muffled by the wind and the rhythmic waves against the hull of their new submarine. The shore rose picturesque from the crystal blue waters.

As expected, the wind picked up a couple of hours into the painting work and drove bigger and bigger waves into the bay where they were anchored. Penguin was just starting to draw the beginning of a wonky black circle before the little dinghy rocked violently and Shachi lost his balance. Law instinctively reached out.

"Room!" he called, and there was a rush of blue, a sphere appearing in his palm and expanding outwards steadily, too slowly. Law gritted his teeth, and willed his power to move faster, but to no avail.

With a yelp, Shachi and Penguin tipped into the water. The boat almost capsized, and Bepo landed face first in the boat, spilling a good half of the black paint. The blue sphere marking the domain of Law's powers spread over the dinghy a moment later.

"Gah!" exclaimed Shachi as he and Penguin surfaced, spluttering. "Cold!"

"Cold," agreed Penguin through his chattering teeth. He swam over to the side of the dinghy and made an attempt to climb up. He couldn't quite manage and ended up in the water again.

Law glared at his own hand. Too slow. Forget having a chance of beating Doflamingo in a fight, he would just get laughed at if he appeared before his ex-captain at this level. He needed practice badly.

Law grasped the air. The paintbrush that Penguin had dropped started floating.

"Pack up and come aboard before you catch a cold," Law called. "I'll handle it from here." He directed the brush with a flick of his fingers. It started making a slow and precise black line on the hull.

There was a long moment of stunned silence as Penguin and Shachi clung to the side of the dinghy, and Bepo sat up, rubbing the side of his head. Law finished the black circle and started on the eyes of the smiley face.

"You're so cool, Captain!" Bepo commented. His fur was blotched with black paint, on his ears and paws. He looked like a panda. The thought made Law smile as he finished both eyes and started on the mouth of the smiley face.

"What the _hell_, Captain!" Shachi burst out suddenly. "_Say_ that you can use your powers like that _before_ we end up in an ice bath next time!"

"Yeah, helping a little _sooner_ would be appreciated next time!" yelled Penguin. He swam to the rope ladder. "If you didn't sink like a rock, I'd throw you in the water to see how you like it."

"I did offer to do the painting," Law reminded them. He finished the mouth and started on the radiating spikes of the glycoproteins. "But all of you insisted that I just watch you from here for my safety, right?"

"See if I ever look out for your safety again," grumbled Penguin as he made his way up the ladder. He reached the top and swung a leg over the railing. "Can't believe you watched us struggle like a bunch of fools for three whole hours when you could have done this from the start."

"It's more entertaining this way." Law grinned. It felt right too, that all of them contributed to painting their symbol in some way.

With a few motions of his hand, Law completed the mark on their new home.

===/END\===

**Author's Note:**

> Fic also [on tumblr here](https://codedredalert.tumblr.com/post/188904319100/paint-the-flag-and-fly-it-high).
> 
> I'm so happy I can share this!! Holding it back for almost 4 months was so tough.


End file.
